1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ophthalmology information processing apparatus for processing an ophthalmology image captured by an ophthalmographic apparatus and a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an ophthalmographic apparatus, a fundus camera for capturing an image of the fundus of an eye to be examined is widely known. As the fundus camera, an apparatus that has a plurality of imaging modes such as color imaging, FAG (Fluorescent AngioGraphy), and ICG (IndoCyanin Green) angiography to perform imaging suitable for the examination purpose is known.
Fluorescent imaging such as FAG or ICG angiography is used to inspect the blood circulation state in the fundus blood vessels and find a morbid portion of the fundus by observing fluorescence leakage or hypofluorescence.
As an effective diagnostic method in the fluorescent imaging, fundus images after intravenous injection of a fluorescent agent are recorded as a moving image, and interpretation is done based on the recorded moving image.
Recently, widespread digital image filing systems allow to easily display captured images stored in a computer or a database. There also exist an apparatus for highlighting a designated portion of a captured image by image processing and an apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional image based on the luminance (light intensity) distribution information of the pixels of each captured image (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2003-190096 and 2007-029460). Another system compares captured images during follow-up and displays change information concerning the images (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-022506).
However, when observing a change in images obtained at a short time interval by, for example, moving image capturing, it is difficult to grasp the changing portion because the variation is very small in the three-dimensional display based on the absolute values of luminances. In addition, it is difficult to visually grasp a small change when the variation in the changing portion is represented by a color distribution on a plane.